A fatal motorcycle crash in Patrick County is still under investigation, state police said Wednesday. The driver was one of 16 people who died statewide in traffic-related crashes Memorial Day weekend.

The motorcyclist, Michael Andrews of Dublin, was driving a 2000 Honda motorcycle south on Virginia 8 on Monday afternoon when he lost control near Virginia 678, state police spokesman Sgt. Rob Carpentieri said.

Andrews, who was wearing a helmet, struck an embankment, was thrown from his motorcycle and died at the scene.

Eleven other crashes claimed the lives of 12 drivers, one passenger and two pedestrians, according to a news release from the Virginia State Police. Of the fatalities, police said:

n Four people, including Andrews, died in motorcycle crashes.

n One crash involved an all-terrain vehicle driven on a roadway.

n In four crashes involving passenger vehicles, drivers were not wearing seat belts.

n Alcohol was a factor in at least five crashes.

n Victims ranged in age from 17 to 49.

n Four crashes occurred in Southwest Virginia in the areas of Botetourt County, Pittsylvania County, Patrick County and Carroll County.

Police said sixteen people died statewide in 11 crashes during Memorial Day weekend in 2007.

State troopers cited 1,062 safety belt violations and 343 child restraint violations during the holiday weekend.

"The preliminary numbers from this past holiday weekend are truly disturbing from a traffic safety and enforcement perspective," state police Superintendent Col. Steven Flaherty said in a news release.

"Virginia is in the midst of its annual Click It or Ticket campaign and we still had more than 1,400 adults and children not buckled up while traveling on the road," he said.

The national Click It or Ticket seat belt enforcement campaign began May 19 and continues through June 1.

The state police goal is for 82 percent of Virginia drivers to use seat belts. As of July 2007, police reported seat belt usage at 79.9 percent.

"That's something we're still concerned about, seat belts and child safety seat usage," Carpentieri said. "The whole purpose of us being out here in mass force like this to reduce crashes and promote highway safety."